Mark Waid, current Daredevil writer (my favourite superhero comic coming out right now) and one of the partners behind Thrillbent, offers some advice to young comics creators:
But when people jealous of how you make a living try to rag you with that old truism that every company employee has to eat shit now and then, remind them that you are not an employee. You’re a contractor. You do not receive health benefits, sick days, pensions, vacation time, or any of the other considerations traditional employees receive. Your clients have zero ethical or moral ground to lie to you, to denigrate you, to cheat you, to demand more from you than they’re paying for, to unapologetically walk back on promises or treat you maliciously, or to exploit your need to put food on the table. […] You just need to know that being taken advantage of is, full-stop, unacceptable and that your work may be for hire, but your dignity is not.